With less than two weeks’ notice, Cartoon Forum has shifted from a real-life to a virtual event. The pitching platform was due to take place in Toulouse, France on September 14–17, but those plans were waylaid by a local resurgence of the pandemic.
The organizers note that more than 200 participants withdrew from the in-person event in five days. “With too few broadcasters confirming their presence on site,” they said, “we think it is more honest to organize Cartoon Forum online only. Our objective still remains ‘Business First,’ with the projects as the main priority.” Producers are being asked to submit recorded pitches, which will be uploaded to an online platform on the aforementioned dates and kept there until October 15.
Real-life events have been cautiously restarting in Europe. A few animation festivals have taken place this summer and the Venice Film Festival is now underway in Italy. But France has seen a gradual rise in coronavirus cases throughout August, and several nations have reimposed quarantines on people arriving from the country. Haute-Garonne, the department in which Toulouse is situated, has been designated a “red zone” — the highest alert level.
